Class 1A License

[Angus Cattle Shower]

How many of you have it? How did you go about getting it? Dad took a course to get his, but has convinced me to challenge the learners test, and do the driving with a neighbor of ours until I would be good enough to pass the road test. Anything I should know? Anything that you guys would like to share?

I feel this license would be an asset not only to me, but also to the farm so I could have something to fall back on, and I feel that this is the way to make the best money possible fresh out of highschool. Not much for jobs around here, but plenty in the southern end of the province and in Alberta on the Rigs

 

[Aaron]

I wish I had it. It is a valuable asset if you do get it.

 

[little bow rancher]

you can have mine if you want lol heck I'll even throw in a job

 

[Justin]

you can have mine if you want lol heck I'll even throw in a job

nice now, if you just had a pusher on that pete, you'd be set :wink:

 

[little bow rancher]

you can have mine if you want lol heck I'll even throw in a job

nice now, if you just had a pusher on that pete, you'd be set :wink:

funny thing, the guy in the little white building said the same thing :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Justin]

you can have mine if you want lol heck I'll even throw in a job

nice now, if you just had a pusher on that pete, you'd be set :wink:

funny thing, the guy in the little white building said the same thing :lol: :lol: :lol:

that mean you were a tad bit heavy?

 

[little bow rancher]

nice now, if you just had a pusher on that pete, you'd be set :wink:

funny thing, the guy in the little white building said the same thing :lol: :lol: :lol:

that mean you were a tad bit heavy?

there a reason why that trailer so close and it's not just for icy roads :wink: a flick of a switch set the brake happy fellow in Idaho , gee that almost rhymes

 

[per]

ACS I challenged the exam, borrowed a Truck and hooked up to a trailer in his yard (turns out it wasn't his :shock: ). Everyone older than me wrote for it and it came in the mail. 8)

Make sure you know the air system inside and out.

 

[Justin]

funny thing, the guy in the little white building said the same thing :lol: :lol: :lol:

that mean you were a tad bit heavy?

there a reason why that trailer so close and it's not just for icy roads :wink: a flick of a switch set the brake happy fellow in Idaho , gee that almost rhymes

i noticed :wink:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

You need your learners before you take most courses anyway. It probably would work to learn from tour neighbor but I bet upon successful completion of a driving course you could pick up a job pretty quick. Isn't that driving school in Yorkton? I think that's where a bunch from this area went.

 

[Silver]

Whether or not you have you're learners license, you still need to go to class to get your air endorsement.
Once you have your air endorsement and your learners there is no better way to learn to drive than by getting out there and driving.
When I took my road test the instructor wondered how I got there.... I told him my friend dropped the truck off and left lol. Then I asked him how long the test was going to be, because I needed to be on location a long ways away in a couple of hours.

Lotsa folks will tell you you don't need to use the clutch, but if you learn to double clutch properly you will greatly prolong the life of your drive train, with the added benefit of not having to quite so perfectly match engine speed to tranny speed when down shifting.

Driving is great experience, and I rather wish everyone who got a class 5 would be required to spend a few days in a truck to gain a little appreciation for them. Perhaps then they would think twice about jumping out in front of a truck if they knew how hard they are to stop. And maybe the would realize that trucks have blind spots. Or that trucks run hills for a reason so if they just passed a truck before a hill they should speed up or get out of the way.....

Do I sound bitter? lol

 

[MsSage]

Nah silver you sound like I do. I agree everyone first getting thier license should have to ride in a truck for 2 weeks. People are stupid or I should say ignorant. Shoer just had a car jump in front of him then slam on the brakes he almost hit them but didnt ....does now have to call safety dept since it set off the hard brake sensor.............another government regulation.

Good luck in getting what we call CDL. It will help you out in the end.

 

[R A]

I have a class A. I don't know if getting one here in the states is the same as Canada or not..... I went and took my written tests, drove very little, but enough to help some, failed my pre-trip inpection, then passed it a week later and then passed the driving part the first time.

My instuctor was huge on knowing the pre-trip and leanant on the driving.....you could grind them til you find them. He didn't just want to know what stuff was on the pre-trip, but "why" you are looking at everything.

I didn't know how to back a trailer worth a darn at the time or drive a semi. It had rained that morning and the guy that took me there in the day cab semi with a flat bed, parked in some puddles, so when I did the cone part of the driving I just followed my tracks the tires made going forward, while backing 3/4 of the way through the out on the road driving part, my instructor shuts his books, folds his arms and says nothing. My heart sank....I was like..... man, I have to do this all again and was down the rest of the way. When we got back, he hands me the paper that says I PASSED.....I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!

I was very uncomfortable being tested on all that stuff, not knowing what I was doing. I wished at the time I had drove a lot more and knew more, but I got it, am glad I got it, and everythings worked out fine. Even used the license when I sat in a road grader everyday for 3 or 4 years there a while back, but will never do that again

 

[gcreekrch]

While there have been several times that a Class 1A would have come in handy I have never got one because I never wanted to be described as a truck driver. :wink: :lol:

 

[Angus Cattle Shower]

You need your learners before you take most courses anyway. It probably would work to learn from tour neighbor but I bet upon successful completion of a driving course you could pick up a job pretty quick. Isn't that driving school in Yorkton? I think that's where a bunch from this area went.

There is one in Saskatoon, thats where Dad got his. There's one in Humboldt every once in a while too, they had it in the same building as where I took welding in Highschool.

 

[Denny]

While there have been several times that a Class 1A would have come in handy I have never got one because I never wanted to be described as a truck driver. :wink: :lol:

I'm with you I don't drive a semi period a couple of unliscensed silage trucks 10 days a year of which 95% of the miles are on gravel roads.I've delivered new trailers all over and never had a problem and those don't even have a plate on them. That will be ending after this winter I'm retireing (I Hope)

 

[burnt]

That will be ending after this winter I'm retireing (I Hope)

WHAT? A young pup like you talking about retiring? :shock:

 

[gcreekrch]

That will be ending after this winter I'm retireing (I Hope)

WHAT? A young pup like you talking about retiring? :shock:

Is that what you do when you start making too much money? :? :lol:

 

[Denny]

That will be ending after this winter I'm retireing (I Hope)

WHAT? A young pup like you talking about retiring? :shock:

Is that what you do when you start making too much money? :? :lol:

It's what you do when your so sick of welding it makes my hair hurt. Should have enough cows with my wife's paycheck I think we'll be fine. I like the people thats what keeps me doing it just to busy playing farmer/rancher depending on the day.